PHYSICS PROJECT

Tushar Deshmukh
12th Grade
Roll No. -

Dr. Ulhas Patil English Medium School, Savada

Title of the Project:

To study the earth's magnetic field using a compass needle -bar
magnet by plotting magnetic field lines and tangent
galvanometer.
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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I express my deep gratitude and appreciation to those who agreed to
participate in this project, for their time expended and courage in
sharing their insights with a fledgling student. It is to them that I am
most indebted, and I can only hope that the product of our
collaboration benefits each one as much as I benefited from the
process.

I had been immeasurably enriched by working under the supervision

of the subject teacher, who has great level of knowledge and who has
an art of encouraging, correcting and directing me in every situation
possible, which has enabled me to complete the project. At times, my
studies were carried out at great cost to those closest to me. I thank
my family and my fellow students for their best understanding and
support. I acknowledge all the people who have involved and
supported me in making this project.

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 CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Kumar Tushar Hemant Deshmukh of
class 12 has completed his investigatory project entitled.
To study the earth's magnetic field using a compass
needle -bar magnet by plotting magnetic field lines and
tangent galvanometer.

In physics during the academic year 2023-24 for the

partial fulfillment of her academic course. The subject
matter present in the project is original and bonafide in
nature.

External examiner Internal examiner Principal

Signature Signature Signature

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 Acknowledgment:

Certificate:

I. Introduction:

II. OBJECTIVE

III. AIM APPARATUS

IV. MATERIAL REQUIRED

V. DIAGRAM

VI. THEORY PROCEDURE

VII. OBSERVATIONS

VIII. CALCULATIONS

IX. RESULTS

X. PRECAUTIONS

XI. SOURCES OF ERRORS

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 INTRODUCTION
The Earth's magnetic field is a fascinating natural phenomenon that plays a crucial role
in various aspects of our planet. This project aims to explore and understand the Earth's
magnetic field by utilizing a compass needle, a bar magnet, and a tangent
galvanometer.

Earth's magnetic field, also known as the geomagnetic field, is the magnetic field that
extends from the Earth's interior to where it meets the solar wind, a stream of charged
particles emanating from the Sun. Its magnitude at the Earth's surface ranges from 25
to 65 microteslas (0.25 to 0.65 gauss). Roughly speaking it is the field of a magnetic
dipole currently tilted at an angle of about 10 degrees with respect to Earth's rotational
axis, as if there were a bar magnet placed at that angle at the center of the Earth. Unlike
a bar magnet, however, Earth's magnetic field changes over time because it is
generated by a geodynamic (in Earth's case, the motion of molten iron alloys in its outer
core). The North and South magnetic poles wander widely, but sufficiently slowly for
ordinary compasses to remain useful for navigation. However, at irregular intervals
averaging several hundred thousand years, the Earth's field reverses and the North and
South Magnetic Poles relatively abruptly switch places. These reversals of the
geomagnetic poles leave a record in rocks that are of value to paleomagnetism in
calculating geomagnetic fields in the past. Such information in turn is helpful in
studying the motions of continents and ocean floors in the process of plate tectonics.
The magnetosphere is the region above the ionosphere and extends several tens of
thousands of kilometers into space, protecting the Earth from the charged particles of
the solar wind and cosmic rays that would otherwise strip away the upper atmosphere,
including the ozone layer that protects the Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation.

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Earth's magnetic field serves to deflect most of the solar wind, whose charged particles
would otherwise strip away the ozone layer that protects the Earth from harmful
ultraviolet radiation. One stripping mechanism is for gas to be caught in bubbles of
magnetic field, which are ripped off by solar winds.

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The intensity of the field is often measured in gauss (G), but is generally reported in
nanoteslas (nT), with 1 G = 100,000 nT. A nanotesla is also referred to as a gamma
(γ).The tesla is the SI unit of the Magnetic field, B. The field ranges between
approximately 25,000 and 65,000 nT (0.25–0.65 G). Near the surface of the Earth, its
magnetic field can be closely approximated by the field of a magnetic dipole positioned
at the center of the Earth and tilted at an angle of about 10° with respect to the
rotational axis of the Earth. The dipole is roughly equivalent Page 9 of 19 to a powerful
bar magnet, with its South Pole pointing towards the geomagnetic North Pole. The north
pole of a magnet is so defined because, if allowed to rotate freely, it points roughly
northward (in the geographic sense). Since the north pole of a magnet attracts the
south poles of other magnets and repels the north poles, it must be attracted to the
south pole.

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 About the Topic: Tangent Galvanometer
A tangent galvanometer is an early measuring instrument used for the
measurement of electric current. It works by using a compass needle to compare
a magnetic field generated by the unknown current to the magnetic field of the
Earth. It gets its name from its operating principle, the tangent law of magnetism,
which states that the tangent of the angle a compass needle makes is
proportional to the ratio of the strengths of the two perpendicular magnetic
fields. It was first described by Claude Pouillet in 1837. A tangent galvanometer
consists of a coil of insulated copper wire wound on a circular non-magnetic
frame. The frame is mounted vertically on a horizontal base provided with
leveling screws. The coil can be rotated on a vertical axis passing through its
center. A compass box is mounted horizontally at the center of a circular scale. It
consists of a tiny, powerful magnetic needle pivoted at the center of the coil. The
magnetic needle is free to rotate in the horizontal plane. The circular scale is
divided into four quadrants. Each quadrant is graduated from 0° to 90°. A long
thin aluminum pointer is attached to the needle at its center and at right angle to
it. To avoid errors due to parallax, a plane mirror is mounted below the compass
needle. In operation, the instrument is first rotated until the magnetic field of the
Earth, indicated by the compass needle, is parallel with the Page 11 of 19 plane
of the coil. Then the unknown current is applied to the coil. This creates a second
magnetic field on the axis of the coil, perpendicular to the Earth's magnetic field.
The compass needle responds to the vector sum of the two fields, and deflects
to an angle equal to the tangent of the ratio of the two fields. From the angle read
from the compass's scale, the current could be found from a table.[2] The current
supply wires have to be wound in a small helix, like a pig's tail, otherwise the field
due to the wire will affect the compass needle and an incorrect reading will be
obtained. A tangent galvanometer can also be used to measure the magnitude of
the horizontal component of the geomagnetic field. When used in this way, a low-
voltage power source, such as a battery, is connected in series with a rheostat,
the galvanometer, and ammeter. The galvanometer is first aligned so that the
coil is parallel to the geomagnetic field, whose direction is indicated by the

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compass when there is no current through the coils. The battery is then
connected and the rheostat is adjusted until the compass needle deflects 45
degrees from the geomagnetic field, indicating that the magnitude of the
magnetic field at the center of the coil is the same as that of the horizontal
component of the geomagnetic field. This field strength can be calculated from
the current as measured by the ammeter, the number of turns of the coil, and the
radius of the coils.

Circuit Diagram

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When a bar magnet is suspended in two magnetic fields B and 𝐵ℎ, it comes to
rest making an angle θ with the direction of 𝐵ℎ.

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Application:

Tangent Galvanometer can be used to measure the magnitude of the horizontal

component of the geomagnetic field.

The principle can be used to compare the galvanometer constants.

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 EXPERIMENT
AIM:

• To determine the reduction factor of a tangent galvanometer.

• To find the horizontal intensity of the Earth’s magnetic field Apparatus
Accumulator, Rheostat, Ammeter, Commutator, Tangent Galvanometer

PRINCIPLE & FORMULAE:

The reduction factor of T.G is K=I/tanθ, where I is the current flowing through
the T.G which produces the deflection θ. The horizontal intensity of Earth’s
magnetic field at a place. Bh = µ0nK/2r, where n is the number of turns of the
coil, µ0 = 4π×10-7 NA-2 is the permeability of free space, K is the reduction factor
of the T.G and r is the radius of the coil of the T.G.

PROCEDURE:

The circuit is made as shown in the diagram. The plane of the coil is made
vertical by adjusting the leveling screws. The plane of the coil is made by
adjusting the leveling screws. The plane of the coil is made parallel to (90-90) in
the compass box. The whole T.G is rotated to read (0-0) at the ends of the
aluminum pointer. Now the plane of the coil is in the magnetic meridian.

The Commutator keys are put. The rheostat should be adjusted for deflection in
T.G between 10 and 60. For a current I, the deflections of the pointer θ1 & θ2 are
noted. The Commutator is reversed. The deflections of the pointer θ3 & θ4 are
noted. The average of the four readings is the deflection θ. From the theory of
the T.G, I=K tanθ.

By varying the current the experiment is repeated. Using a string the

circumference of the coil is measured. Hence its radius r is found. Let n be the
number of turns of the coil. The horizontal intensity at the place is given by, Bh =
µ0nK/2r.

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Mean K = 0.19682

• The reduction factor of TH = 0.19682

• Number of turns of the coil = 50

• Circumference of the coil (S) = 2πr = 50.49 cm

• Radius of the coil r = S/2π = 8.04 cm = 8.04×10-2 cm

Horizontal Intensity at the place Bh = µ0nK/2r

= 2πnK×10-7/r

= 7.6867×10-8 T

For different values of current I, deflections are noted and values are calculated.
Knowing K, n and r the value of horizontal intensity Bh can be calculated.

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RESULT

• The reduction factor of T.G, K = 0.19682 A

• Horizontal Intensity at the place, Bh = 7.6867×10-5 T

CONCLUSION:

Experiment in tangent galvanometer gives the reduction factor of galvanometer and

horizontal intensity of Earth’s magnetic field.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Illustrative Oxford Book

• Wikipedia
• NCERT Practical’s
• Introduction to Physical Science

END OF THE PROJECT

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